• Cut one 1 ripe, medium sized pear (we prefer anjou and Bartlett) in small pieces.
• Place in blender and cover with water. Blend until smooth.
• Add 8 oz of spinach and continue to blend until completely smooth.

For a + version, add 1tsp of spirulina, 1 tsp of kelp, 1tsp of coconut butter and a handfull of sunflower sprouts! Amazingly delicious.

Makes enough for two people. More if you want to share.  

Spinach and Pear are excellent to clean out the colon of old rubbish. The drink is an excellent source of iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamin A, C, fiber and so much more. It's an excellent breakfast.
Some people express disgust at the thought of a green drink. I don't understand. Green is such a beautiful color, it represents health and vibrancy. The creator of this drink is Raphael Lavoie of le depanneur sylvestre in Gatineau.

• 4 litres of water
• 20 whole cloves
• 20 whole green cardamom pods
• 20 whole black pepper corns
• 5 stick of cinnamon
• 3 slices of fresh ginger

Bring to a light boil and simmer for 20 to 40 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp (1 bag) of black tea. Boil for another 5 minutes. Remove all spices, add soy milk (approx.3 cups) and maple syrup to taste.

This is the basic recipe. I have noticed that different books, myself included, use different ratios. I never count or measure. The original recipe calls for cows milk and honey. 

• 1 cup hijiki, soaked and cut
• 1 tsp olive oil or ½ cup water
• 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1/4 green onion,
• chopped sea salt to taste

Saute hijiki in oil 20-30 minutes allow to cool. Mix all ingredients together and serve on fresh chopped greens. 

Hijiki is a sea vegetable growing wild on rocky coastlines around Japan and Korea. Hijiki is rich in dietary fibre and essential minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium. It actually taste very good. I add it to the boiling water when I make pasta or rice. Its an easy way to get your hijiki in!

"The wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings. Let food be your medicine." - Hippocrates  

(Remember that the measurements are estimates as I don't measure anything.)

• 2 cups of spring mix
• 1 hand full of sprouts ( I prefer sunflower sprouts)
• 1 banana
• 1/2 an avocado
• 1 tsp of spirulina
• 1 handful of cilantro
• 1 tbs of kelp
• enough water to blend

Blend until smooth and enjoy.

My inspiration for green smoothies comes form my friend Natasha Kyssa of simplyraw.ca. Visit her web site for all information.

• 4 cups of water
• 1 hand full of hijiki
• 1 cup of finely chopped celery and carrots
• 3 clove of garlic minced
• ½ red onion cubed
• 1/4 piece of grated ginger
• 2 tsp of miso

Add hijiki , onions garlic and ginger to water and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to medium and add vegetables and cook for a approx 10 minutes. Add miso immediately prior to serving.

Sugar is a type of bodily fuel, yes, but your body runs about as well on it as a car would.
– V.L. Allineare

Miso is a pasty food originating in Japan. Made from soybeans, rice or barley, it is fermented using a yeast mold (known as "koji"). Depending on the grain or bean used, it will vary in flavor and hue from a dark red to white. The fermented time will vary between weeks and years. Its level of saltiness and sweetness will also vary. As you try different varieties, you will come to enjoy the distinct differences between them. Because it is fermented with a B12-synthesizing bacteria, miso has been commonly recommended as a B12 source for vegans.

Miso is high in sodium but is a good source of trace minerals such as zinc, manganese, and copper. A single tablespoon of miso contains 2 grams of protein and just just 25 calories. Its believed that Miso's minerals support: Immune Function, Energy Production, Bones and Blood Vessels while protecting us against Breast Cancer. Explore . . . 

• 1 cup of mung beans
• 1 cup brown basmati rice
• 9 cups water
• 4-6 cups chopped assorted vegetables (carrots, zucchini, broccoli, celery,)
• 2 onions chopped, 1/3 cup minced ginger root ~
• 8-10 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 heaping tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. chopped green chili peppers
• seeds of 5 cardamom pods
• tamari to taste

Rinse the beans and rice Bring water to a boil add the rice boil for 15 minutes, then add the beans, garlic, onion and ginger. Let it boil over a medium flame for another ten minutes. Add vegetables and spices. Continue to cook over a medium to low flame, stirring often to prevent scorching. The consistency should be rich and thick, the ingredients barely discernable. This dish will provide you with protein, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals, a bit of fat. Excellent and easy to digest. Its often recommended as a mono fast. Either one day or 28 days, from full moon to full moon. Enjoy!

The 28-day Mung Beans and Rice Diet, based on the teachings of Yogi Bhajan, is a good cleansing diet which still gives you plenty of nourishment. It is a good winter fast, and it is especially recommended for people over forty. Excellent for the kidneys, colon and digestive organs, it is also beneficial in cases of constipation, or when food is not being digested by the intestines. Mung beans are a very easily assimilated form of protein. Combined with rice and cooked until they have a soupy consistency, they are really a "predigested" food.

For 28 days, eat only mung beans and rice at mealtimes, with lots of fresh vegetables cooked into the same dish. Fruit may be eaten between meals as a snack, and you can drink yogi tea. In the winter, you can grind chiles into it to make it hot & spicy. Don't worry, you don't need to eat it for 28 days to get the benefits. Its just an option!

"Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness."
- Edward Stanley (1826-1893)  

• 1/2 cup frozen mangos
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 cup of almond milk

Blend until smooth. If they are not looking add a bit of oil such as hemp or flax ( great brain boosters)

(Ysabelle: I add it once in while because I love you!)

"When you see the golden arches, you are probably on your way to the pearly gates."
— William Castelli, M.D.

The teen years are an interesting time of life. Trying to feed them well is quite a challenge. My experience with my daughter has taught me that its very important to let go and let her be. But, when she is home and receptive; fruits, veggies, EFAs and lots of water.

As you know, fruit smoothies can be as creative as you like. Berries are good. I tend to change the milk I use, quite often. Soy, rice, almond, hemp. Sometimes store bought, sometimes homemade. Hemp seed milk is very easy to make. No need for soaking. Fill the bottom of the blender with seeds, add about 1 litre of water and blend until smooth. You can add dates to sweeten if you like. I doubt your teen(s) will sit and have a glass of hemp milk, but its great for the smoothies. It gives them fat and protein! 

The following is my creation but it was inspired by Natasha Kyssa of simply raw's detox and recipe book.

• 1 cup of spinach
• 1 cup of kale
• 3 medium sized tomatoes
• 1/2 an avocado
• 1 tsp kelp
• 1 handful basil
• 3 green onions
• 3 cloves of garlic salt (or no salt as you wish)

Add enough water to blend until smooth. The more you add, the more liquid it is. I like it thick. Its the best soup I have ever had! I don't think I am exaggerating!

To the Yogi, the body is a mold prepared by the mind to carry out the activities of the mind. The foods that we eat to build both the body and the mind should therefore be pure wholesome and nutritious.
- Swami Sivananda  

• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup dry green lentils
• 1 red potato, peeled and finely diced
• 1 large tomato, peeled and diced
• 1 small stalk celery, diced
• 1 small carrot, slivered
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
• pepper to taste
• chopped chives

In a deep soup pot, sauté shallots and onions in heated oil. Add water and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, adding more water if needed to keep the three-cup level of liquid. Cook lentils until barely tender. Add all other vegetables and seasonings. Continue cooking at least 20 minutes longer. Puree mixture. Serve warm, garnished with chives.

Lentils: a mighty member of the legume family. They are an excellent source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. Lentils are also good to help manage blood-sugar levels because their high fiber content helps prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal. They provide an abundance of five minerals, two of the B-vitamins, as well as protein and very little fat. The calorie content of lentils is quite low; about 220 calories per cup of cooked lentils.

"A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools."
- Spanish Proverb  

• 3/4 cup raw walnuts, cashews or pecans
• 1/4 cup raw carob powder
• 1 cup raisins

Process all ingredients in a food processor until fine and sticky. Shape into balls and enjoy! If the mixture will not hold together, add a few more raisins and a tablespoon of water.

“Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”
- Harriet Van Horne, Vogue 10/1956